Trump Helped Schumer Get Three of His Dream Candidates for 2026

Some of the politicians on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s candidate wish list have made unlikely decisions to run.

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks during an event.

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he felt compelled to run for Senate because “these are not ordinary times.” Amy Harris/Invision/AP

On paper, Mary Peltola should have little interest in running for Senate. Many Alaska Democrats think she’d have a better chance of winning the governor’s race, which would keep her much closer to home and give her greater leeway to govern than in the hyperpolarized Senate.

And yet Peltola is still actively considering running against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, according to Democratic sources, some of whom even suggest she’s leaning toward a federal campaign.

If she runs, she’d be just the latest Democratic recruit to make the unlikely decision to jump into a race for Senate.